Abstract:

Notions of the City; Notes on Place is a poetic exercise on experiencing the city and events in it. The work questions ways of behaving, interacting and perceiving the everyday view that is often called mundane and introduces alternative approaches to the city, ways of challenging ones own experience in familiar surroundings.

The thesis presents notions and notes from an individual point of view but also presents works by different artists that have approached the common, public space.

The work consists of three parts, the first one being the literary part which opens the background of the work as to how and why and presents also the final two parts that can and should be perceived individually.

The second part is a field-test performed by the author where he introduces a method of observation, a way of experiencing any single chosen place by anyone, anytime, in order to find new perspective. The method requires physical presence by the executioner where he makes notes of everything he sees. The field-test is presented in the form of a book that also includes photographs alongside the notes.

The final part of the work is an exhibition of the photographs made specially for Bang Bang gallery, which is a part of the Aalto EE program. The exhibition consists of nine pictures selected from the thirteen portrayed in the book.Notions of the City; Notes on a Place on poeettinen, pohdiskeleva tutkielma kaupunkitilasta ja sen kokemisesta. Työ tarkastelee kirjoittajan katsomistapaa ja kokemuksellisuutta kaupungissa ja yrittää sitä kautta saada selkeyttä ympäröivään tilaan, mutta myös pohtia laajemmin kaupungin toimivuutta ihmisten, tekojen ja tilojen kautta. Tutkielma etsii mahdollisuuksia uusiin lähestymistapoihin kokea ympäristöämme ja tapahtumia siinä.